With the 2012 season approaching the summer break it's time to speculate again: What is the grid going to look like next year?

I don't see many changes happening in the top teams. The major two variables at this point are Felipe Massa's position at Ferrari, and whether or not Michael Schumacher is going to race for another year or two. From the midfield downwards some changes are possible - depending on which driver offers which team the most money.

Raikkonen on Ferrari's radar for 2013, despite also nearing extension to Lotus deal

Kimi Raikkonen has emerged as a surprise contender to line up alongside Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next year, even though the Finn is closing in on a deal to remain at Lotus.

Ferrari is considering its driver options for 2013, with the team well aware it needs a team-mate to Alonso who can help contribute significantly to its constructors' championship ambitions.

Felipe Massa has not yet delivered strong enough form this year to guarantee his seat, which has left Ferrari evaluating whether to hope his current upswing in form will continue into 2013 or whether it needs to look at other options.

A number of young drivers are on Ferrari's radar - with Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta, Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean all on the short-list of candidates for the drive.

However, Ferrari sources insist that the team has not seen enough from any of those drivers to be sure that they will be a definite step forward over Massa - which has resulted in Raikkonen emerging as a dark horse contender.

Although Raikkonen was dropped by Ferrari at the end of 2009, Ferrari sources suggest that senior figures inside the team believe he would be the perfect fit for next year – because of his speed, availability and likelihood that he would not cause any political problems.

However, the biggest stumbling block at any deal happening is believed to be the strained relationship between Raikkonen and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who parted their previous working partnership on far from good terms.

Insiders suggest that di Montezemolo is not convinced about the Raikkonen route – while the driver himself has said in private that he too would be reluctant to work with his former boss again.

Ferrari will have to make a final call on Raikkonen soon if it is to have any hope of doing a deal, because he is getting close to confirming another season with Lotus.

AUTOSPORT understands that Raikkonen has already held technical meetings about the 2013 car at the Lotus factory, and there is every indication from him and the team that they intend to carry on together for at least one more year.

Raikkonen's team-mate Grosjean is out of contract at the end of this year too, but his current strong form for Lotus makes it a no brainer for it to keep the Frenchman for another season.

A statement released by the team on Tuesday said: “Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has renewed its contract with the driver Felipe Massa to the end of the 2013 race season.”

“The Scuderia’s driver line-up for next year is therefore made up of Fernando Alonso and the aforementioned Felipe Massa.”

Massa will remain with Ferrari for a seventh season. He joined them from Sauber in 2006 to partner Michael Schumacher.

In 2008 Massa finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship, winning six races.

But he missed half of the season in 2009 after suffering head injuries during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He has not won a race since returning in 2010, when Fernando Alonso joined Ferrari as his team mate.

Valtteri Bottas says he is ready to justify Williams's faith after taking Bruno Senna's seat for next season.

The Finn replaces Bruno Senna and will partner Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, who drove for Williams in 2011-12.

Bottas, Williams's reserve driver in 2012, said: "I don't see any reason why I can't do well in Formula 1."

Founder and team principal Sir Frank Williams said Bottas was "one of the most talented young racing drivers we have ever come across".

Williams have picked Bottas after a string of impressive performances in many of the free practice sessions this year, when he often matched Maldonado's pace and rarely made mistakes.

Bottas, 23, said in an exclusive interview: "I think that was the key. Many times I was in the same pace as Pastor and sometimes even quicker.

"Sometimes, for sure, Pastor had the edge but that was to be expected - he has already two seasons in the car and knows the team as well. He's a really quick guy and I'm really happy I could match him sometimes.

"I think they have seen I am really quick, I am ready to work hard and to do everything I can to get a lot of points for the team.

"I know and the team has seen that there will be much more to come from my side as I get to drive the car more.

"It is not an easy job doing the Fridays. It is just one session, one set of tyres, job done. And there are always big gaps between the Fridays so it is not easy to keep the rhythm.

"The team has seen I can still improve a lot and we can do good results."

Bottas, who last raced when winning the GP3 feeder series in 2011, acknowledged that he was making a big step up next season.

"I know it won't be easy because you are competing against the very best in the world," he said.

"But once I get into the racing rhythm again I don't see any reason why I would struggle massively. I will keep improving all the time, that's for sure."

Williams said of Bottas that he expected "great things from him in the future".

And Bottas said he believed he could follow in the footsteps of countrymen Keke Rosberg, Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen and win the world title in the future.

"I am here only for one reason. One day I want to be the world champion," he said.

"Everyone in Finland will be expecting me to be world champion one day because most of the Finnish drivers have been.

"But I am not going to take any pressure for that. I just think it is really cool that that is the way it is. For sure I will get a lot of support from Finland. It is my goal, too."

I would place odds on d'Ambrosio and Sutil not getting their rumoured seats, due to the fact that the former performed badly in his one race at Monza, while the latter will have issues with attending numerous races on the calendar.

HRT have not been included in the official FIA 2013 team entry list. With the team still struggling to find a buyer, and the deadline for teams to pay their entry fee for the 2013 season passing on Friday, it looks almost certain that there will only be 22 drivers for 11 teams in the 2013 seasons.

HRT have not been included in the official FIA 2013 team entry list. With the team still struggling to find a buyer, and the deadline for teams to pay their entry fee for the 2013 season passing on Friday, it looks almost certain that there will only be 22 drivers for 11 teams in the 2013 seasons.